Electric device protection circuit and method for protecting an electric device
AssigneesQimonda AG, Altis Semiconductor, SNC
InventorsAlexander Duch, Ulrich Klostermann, Michael Kund
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric device protection circuit comprises at least one conductive bridging unit which electrically connects a terminal of the electric device to a protection node set to a protection potential, the protection potential being chosen such that the conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state in case that the voltage or current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
Claims31
An electric device protection circuit for an electric device, the electric device protection circuit comprising:
- at least one conductive bridging unit electrically connecting a terminal of the electric device to a protection node set to a protection potential, the protection potential selected such that the at least one conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state when a voltage or current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value;
- and
- a first conductive bridging unit and a second conductive bridging unit, each conductive bridging unit including a reactive electrode, an inert electrode, and a solid electrolyte arranged between the reactive electrode and the inert electrode.
An electric device protection circuit for an electric device, the electric device protection circuit comprising:
- at least one conductive bridging unit electrically connecting a terminal of the electric device to a protection node set to a protection potential, the protection potential selected such that the at least one conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state when a voltage or current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value;
- and
- erasing voltage generating means electrically connected to the at least one of the at least one conductive bridging unit, the erasing voltage generating means generating erasing voltages and supplying the erasing voltages to connected conductive bridging units, the erasing voltages having an effect of switching the connected conductive bridging units from the conductive state to the resistive state.
An electric device protection circuit for an electric device, the electric device protection circuit comprising:
- at least one conductive bridging unit electrically connecting a terminal of the electric device to a protection node set to a protection potential, the protection potential selected such that the at least one conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state when a voltage or current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value;
- and
- resistance determining means electrically connected to the at least one conductive bridging unit, the resistance determining means determining the resistance of the at least one conductive bridging unit.
An electric device protection circuit for an electric device, the electric device protection circuit comprising:
- at least one conductive bridging unit electrically connecting a terminal of the electric device to a protection node set to a protection potential, the protection potential selected such that the at least one conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state when a voltage or current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value;
- and
- voltage/current tracking means electrically connected to the at least one conductive bridging unit, the voltage/current tracking means tracking voltage peaks or current peaks occurring at the terminal.
An electric device protection circuit for an electric device, the electric device protection circuit comprising:
- at least one conductive bridging unit electrically connecting a terminal of the electric device to a protection node set to a protection potential, the protection potential selected such that the at least one conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state when a voltage or current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value;
- and
- writing voltage generating means electrically connected to at least one of the at least one conductive bridging unit, the writing voltage generating means generating writing voltages and supplying the writing voltages to the connected conductive bridging units.
An electric device protection circuit for an electric device, the electric device protection circuit comprising:
- at least one conductive bridging unit electrically connecting a terminal of the electric device to a protection node set to a protection potential, the protection potential selected such that the at least one conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state when a voltage or current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value,
- wherein the protection circuit is removably attached to the electric device.
An electric device protection circuit for an electric device, the electric device protection circuit comprising:
- at least one conductive bridging unit electrically connecting a terminal of the electric device to a protection node set to a protection potential, the protection potential selected such that the at least one conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state when a voltage or current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value,
- wherein the protection circuit is mounted on a separate circuit board.
An electric device comprising:
- a terminal;
- and
- a protection circuit protecting the electric device against voltage peaks or current peaks occurring at the terminal, the protection circuit comprising at least one conductive bridging unit which connects the terminal to a protection node set to a protection potential, the protection potential being chosen such that the at least one conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state when a voltage or a current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value, wherein the at least one conductive bridging unit further comprises a first conductive bridging unit and a second conductive bridging unit, each conductive bridging unit including a reactive electrode, an inert electrode, and a solid electrolyte arranged between the reactive electrode and the inert electrode.
A method of protecting an electric device, the method comprising connecting at least one conductive bridging unit to a terminal of the electric device and to a node set to a protection potential such that the at least one conductive bridging unit connects the terminal to a protection node, and choosing the protection potentials of the protection nodes such that the at least one connected conductive bridging unit switches from a resistive state to a conductive state when a voltage or current at the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.